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Buehrle's season ends after 31 starts, 200-plus innings

Buehrle's season ends after 31 starts, 200-plus innings

The Marlins are shutting Buehrle down after 31 starts. The veteran lefty initially was slated to start on Wednesday in the season finale against the Mets at Marlins Park.

He lefty finished with 202 1/3 innings.

Buehrle, one of the most durable starters in the game for more than a decade, is being shut down. Not due to injury or any ailment, but because there is not much need to throw him out there after he threw eight innings last Friday in a no-decision against the Phillies.

Buehrle finishes the season with a 13-13 record and a 3.74 ERA. For 12 straight years, he reached at least 10 wins and 200 innings.

"I told you guys in Spring Training what he was," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "This kid gives you everything on the field. The last time he was on the field, he tried to grab something he didn't have. He tried to win it."

Buehrle gave up one run on six hits with eight strikeouts in his last start.

Who will replace Buehrle, Guillen said, "is up in the air."

The team is considering starting reliever Chad Gaudin and following him up with prospect Tom Koehler.

"We've talked about it the last couple of games," Guillen said.

Buehrle was prepared to take the ball on Wednesday, if needed. But he wanted an answer, because it factors into his preparation. Had he still been ready to go, he would have had to go through his regular between-starts routine.

"He asked me, if we needed him to pitch," Guillen said. "But he'd rather not. He said, 'My bullets are very low right now.' I don't want to start a guy for one inning, two innings for no reason."